Dear Neighbor,

Homelessness is the biggest crisis we face – in San Jose, in California, and across the nation. 

You’ve asked for answers. You’ve called on your representatives to take bold action. You’ve demanded better outcomes for those suffering and the entire community. And government’s response at all levels has been too little, too late. 

Our city, county and state still aren’t treating homelessness like the emergency it is. We need to be bolder and more efficient with our time and your money. And that’s exactly what I am proposing we do in this year’s budget. I want you to be the first to hear our plan and offer feedback.

I’ll be hosting a virtual townhall event on March 11th at 7pm to share details about our upcoming budget message and ways you can support this push to scale up safe, dignified alternatives to our streets and creeks, and require that people use them when they are available, thereby allowing us to permanently close tent encampments. We’ll also talk about what the city and other government agencies should be doing to better manage the crisis on our streets and all of the many impacts that come with it. 

This plan doesn’t stop with us and our city budget – we need to advocate to the county and state to take bolder action, too – including building up our mental health system, especially drug treatment, holding people accountable for using supportive services like treatment and job training, expanding our shelter system, and making it easier to build workforce housing cost effectively and at scale. 

Ending homelessness will require every level of government make it the number one priority and act with the speed and pragmatism we would expect in responding to a natural disaster. We can’t wait decades to build brand new apartments for every person on our streets–we must deliver immediate alternatives to the streets, require their use, and invest in addressing underlying challenges of under-employment, addiction, mental health and other barriers to self-sufficiency. 

And finally, as long as we have people living on our streets, we must enforce a code of conduct–let’s call it a Good Neighbor Policy–that every resident, housed or unhoused, must be accountable to. We all live in this community together and therefore we must ensure that each of us is holding up our end of the bargain to keep our city safe and clean for all. 

If you agree, I hope you will join me in pushing for common sense action on homelessness through this year’s budget process and beyond. 

Sincerely,

Mayor Matt

This month, we launched the Capture Crime Pilot Program — a proactive safety initiative proposed by my office back in 2022, as a councilmember. Starting with Trine’s Cafe in the Edenville neighborhood, we're providing surveillance cameras and data storage to small businesses at no cost to help deter crime and help our officers hold criminals accountable. If you are a small business owner looking to join the Capture Crime Pilot Program you can reach out to the San Jose Crime Prevention Unit at (408) 277-4133. This pilot has enough funding to deploy 75 cameras in commercial districts that have been hardest hit by retail theft in recent years.

Raging Waters is open for the summer! When the city learned the previous operator of this beloved San Jose institution would be leaving, we had to hustle to find a new one. And thanks to city staff’s hard work, families and young people from San Jose and beyond will get to experience this nearly 40-year-old tradition again this summer! Learn more here.

362 days a year, San Jose Downtown Association’s Groundwerx team works for you! I tagged along with the team to see how they make Downtown San Jose safer and cleaner. Learn more about Groundwerx here, and say hello to their Safety Ambassadors and Cleaning Crews next time you see them working to make San Jose a better place. Groundwerx is a successful model funded by the Downtown’s business improvement district. As a city, we are investing in the formation of small business associations in other commercial districts across the city so that they too can take greater control of their destiny by pooling resources and investing in their common space and joint marketing efforts.

Ready for another Snack with Matt? Join Councilmember Cohen and me for lunch at A2B Indian Vegetarian Restaurant on February 29th, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. We want to hear what issues matter most to you — let’s enjoy a meal and brainstorm solutions together! RSVP: http://qrco.de/SnackWithMatt

Roosevelt Park Community Clean-Up

Saturday, March 2nd at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

North 28th Street (Between E St. James Street & 5 Wounds Lane)

Join Team Mahan and California Volunteers on Saturday to make our city safer and cleaner! Volunteers from across the city will help pick up litter, clear weeds, and more at Roosevelt Park. Join them to become part of the solution! RSVP here. 

Guadalupe, Alameda, and Downtown Streets Clean-Up

Saturday, March 9th at 9:00 AM

60 Delmas Avenue (Between W Santa Clara Street & W San Fernando Street)

We’re creating a better and more beautiful city — but we need your help to do it! On Saturday, March 9th, volunteers will be spread out across the Guadalupe, Alameda, and Downtown areas, removing litter, illegally dumped blight, graffiti, and more. Join us and be part of the large movement in bettering San Jose. RSVP here. 

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 

Saturday, March 2nd at 7:30 PM

1123 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA 95110

Cheer on the San Jose Earthquakes in their first home game of the season! Purchase your tickets here. 

Cinequest Film Festival 

Thursday, March 7th to Sunday, March 17th

California Theatre (345 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113) and Hammer Theatre Center (101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113)

The Cinequest Film & Creative Festival returns to California Theatre and Hammer Theatre! The event features 217 films from 37 countries — full of comedies, documentaries, dramas, and more, all under the theme of “Uplift.” Learn more about this year’s line-up and buy tickets here.  

We kicked off our Saturday morning with service! Over 30 volunteers, including members from Martin Fontana Parks Association and the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, helped create a more beautiful San Jose by picking up litter, pulling weeds, pruning, and laying down mulch at Martin-Fontana Park. We even had a surprise visit from California Volunteers in Governor Newsom’s office. Together, we’re building a better San Jose for all. Join us at for the next one: http://bit.ly/cleansj

Earlier this month, dozens of neighbors stopped by the Berryessa Community Center to responsibly dispose of their unwanted items. Thanks to Councilmember Cohen for partnering with our office for this great event! Through our weekly Saturday clean-ups, we're not just cleaning up our city, we're fostering a community that's committed to creating a better San Jose. Join us for the next one: http://bit.ly/cleansj

Happy Lunar New Year! To celebrate, hundreds of residents gathered at Santana Row to ring in the Year of the Dragon. We had a great time watching the traditional lion dances, sharing a meal with friends, and of course, passing out lots of red envelopes! Wishing everyone a prosperous start to their new year.